In the Presence of Enemies
by bourkem
Summary: A Naruto TwoShot. Having declined a position in the mission to retrieve Sasuke, Naruto is instead sent an another assignment. During his travels, he will meet an unlikely ally and face-off against unknown enemies. Rated M for for safety.
1. Chapter 1

_**Rating: M**_

_**Warnings: Violence, Sexual References, Hidan's Potty-mouth**_

_This story takes place during Part II of the Naruto manga series._

oOoOoOo

**Part 1: The Reckoning - Escape with the Nibi!**

oOoOoOo

Naruto walked steadily through the woods, his feet making only the slightest sound as they disturbed the forest floor. The sun was still high in the sky, though he knew it would set by the time he got to his destination; small rays of direct sunlight marked the path in front of him at sporadic intervals.

His current objective was to retrieve a pay-packet from a previous client and deliver the payment to the treasurers in Konoha. It was a simple enough assignment and, according to the raw intelligence, there were no expected obstacles. Despite that, Tsunade had been hesitant to give him a mission outside of the village; especially one that involved him working by himself. What with Gaara's previous abduction and rumours of Akatsuki being active in Fire Country, there was very much a present danger.

Naruto had simply countered that point against him by stating that she hadn't received any news suggesting that Akatsuki was active in the areas he was to travel, and it would take too long to find a team for Naruto to work with. A team certainly wasn't needed, at any rate – all he had to do was pick up an envelope. His argument had mostly been guess work (since when did _he_ read or listen to intelligence reports?) but it had paid off nicely. The fact that he'd been personally requested to pick up the pay-packet was just icing on the cake for him; especially since he knew who had requested him.

But Tsunade no baa-chan had been very hesitant indeed. Almost too much so. _Probably getting bullied by those asshole elders. Especially that Danzo prick,_ he thought dismissively.

But he'd managed to get his way (mostly through sheer bull-headedness), and now he was traveling to the Land of Waves, heading directly to Tazuna's. He was very much looking forward to it. He'd missed them, and they were very good friends.

He absently wondered if Tsuname was just as beautiful as she once had been.

The best part was that it would give him time to think about everything. Especially Sakura-chan…

He'd gone to see her off, waiting at the gates for her when she was leaving on her mission to retrieve Sasuke. The interaction between them had been civil and polite, if somewhat frigid.

"_Naruto, I don't understand why you're not coming, but that's just something I'll have to deal with. We'll talk about it once I get back." And she'd smiled that tremendous smile that had once set him aflame with affection. "After I bring Sasuke-kun back, hey?"_

That last comment had ruined the moment for him. It wasn't that he was jealous – he wasn't. But he did think that Sakura was burying her head in the sand and refusing to face reality. The Sasuke they'd once known was gone, and Naruto thought Sakura was going to waste her life trying to regain something that was lost even before Sasuke betrayed the Leaf Village.

And Sakura hadn't brought him back, either. The mission had failed, and she'd been avoiding Naruto ever since. He didn't know if it was because she blamed him for not coming with her or if she thought she had disappointed him. He hoped it was neither, because he just wanted to talk to her. To simply sit down and talk, share a cup of tea like real team-mates, without experiencing any interruptions (or having her beat him over the head).

And he still hadn't made up his mind about Sasuke. Would he go and get him next time? Would he forget about him entirely? Naruto wasn't too concerned with running out of time. Sasuke was strong; he would see through any plans Orochimaru made.

Well, Naruto hoped he would.

Naruto suddenly froze as a monstrous wave of chakra washed over him. It was coming from… near the shoreline? That was where he was headed. Naruto felt goose bumps break out on his arm; he'd felt similar chakra before. It was like the nine-tails, in that it held a similarly menacing aura, but it was unlike the nine-tails in that it was so much weaker.

Could it be...?

Naruto bent his knees and propelled himself into the trees fiercely. As he moved, he pondered. _Is it someone like me…_?

For another five minutes, he ran at speed. His legs were filled with chakra, lean and strong. His breathing was deeper, though he did not pant. He was in remarkable shape, even for a ninja. As he moved, he realised that his path had altered slightly as he'd followed the chakra and he was now heading north towards the Fire Country border.

Eventually he stopped. The chakra was very strong now; he was surely almost at the epicentre. It was a good thing he'd spent so much time around the nine-tails – it had helped him become somewhat immune to the crushing weight of a bijuu's spirit. But he could still feel the weight of it upon his shoulders.

He looked up at the structure before him. Or what remained of it. It was mostly just rubble now. An abandoned castle, perhaps? Maybe once upon a time.

Naruto ducked down to remain out of visual sight. He took a moment to catch his breath and carefully suppress his chakra. He could feel it, straining for release, but he calmed himself, and eventually it withered slightly; he could only feel the slightest trickle running through his coils. After a deep breath he got down on his stomach, and began to crawl, inch by slow inch through the rubble. The air around him was strangely silent as he slowly made his way closer – wasn't there supposed to be a battle going on right in front of him?

_If Akatsuki is here, I need to be careful. I don't know anything about them, and their presence means it has to be a Jinchuuriki, or maybe even a loose bijuu. Probably not; I didn't think there were any loose bijuu._

It had long been a point of contention of Naruto's that he could simply throw himself into battle and come out victorious through sheer force of will, but Jiraiya had vehemently disapproved of such strategies. He claimed that information was the difference between life and death. Naruto supposed that explained why the only thing he ever got serious about was his information and intelligence network.

And looking at Tsunade's breasts…

_Let's hope I learned some of my lessons, Ero-sennin! The one's that weren't about female anatomy, at any rate._

With his chakra suppressed, Naruto carefully shuffled forward to observe what was happening. He continued to stay as low as possible – he didn't want his cloak flapping in the wind and creating noise, nor did he want any of the people still around catching his scent. If they had anyone who specialised in tracking or reconnaissance then they'd catch his scent either way, he knew; he just wasn't that talented at stealth.

_Can still run circles around Konoha ANBU, though; just like the good old days._

In the time it had taken to waffle quietly through the rubble and prepare himself, the demonic chakra had disappeared. Traces of it still scalded the air, but the almost-overbearing presence itself was gone. Naruto squinted as he spied two figures, both wearing black cloaks adorned with red clouds. One was sitting slumped against a wall, though the expression on his face spoke more of general fatigue and irritation than any debilitating injury. The other was lying on the ground, and Naruto held back a gasp as he stabbed himself through the stomach with a black pipe or pole.

_Is he suicidal?_ Naruto wondered. _And where's the bijuu? They can't seal it in themselves, and it wouldn't just run off. That means it had to be a Jinchuuriki. So, where…?_

Naruto's thoughts ceased as he spied a third figure. The long blonde hair indicated a female, and she was strung up against the wall – like a side of beef in a slaughter-house. Naruto only just managed to muffle his gasp, and his entire body shook with hatred.

_I hate them! I __**hate them**__!_

Tears welled in his eyes as he noticed the kunai that pierced the kunoichi's hands. Naruto closed his eyes as he bit down harshly on the flesh between his thumb and index-finger to muffle his sounds of rage, trying with every fibre of his being to will away the image, but it wasn't working. When he opened them again she was still hanging, all alone in the world, left to the mercy of a group of sadistic murderers.

All alone in the world… like he had once been.

It took him an extremely long two minutes to tap down his rage and barely-controlled chakra and regain some semblance of calm. If Akatsuki had known he was here, the two minutes would have seen him captured, he was sure.

_I need a plan, _he thought seriously, swallowing back his nerves. _First priority: get the girl. They can't get their hands on the bijuu, and she __**doesn't**__ deserve to die! Second: get away. I won't be able to take two of them, no matter how much I think I could, especially not while trying to take care of someone. And they'll be trying extra hard for me if they realise I'm a Jinchuuriki, so I can't use any chakra from the nine-tails, either. That means it's all on me!_

This was going to be tricky. He continued to watch for another few minutes, but decided that he couldn't wait too long. The Akatsuki bastards might have backup. He tensed as they started speaking, their conversation reaching his ears.

"Damnit, Hidan! How long does this tedious ritual last?"

"Hey, asshole! You can't rush the work of Jashin-sama! My religion is very specific! It'll be at least another 20 minutes."

"Specific!" came the dismissive snort. "Inefficient and costly would be a more accurate description," the darker man retorted.

"It's not inefficient. _You're_ the one who slows us down with all your bounties. Besides, I just blasphemed by leaving the Jinchuuriki alive; we can't leave any alive in our next fight," the one called Hidan argued.

Naruto had known that they needed the hosts alive to successfully extract the demons, but it still sent a swoop of relief through him to hear confirmation that she was not dead.

"Well, you're taking too long, so hurry it up!" From the way they spoke Naruto got the impression that the darker agent was the more senior of the pair. And he seemed to be in a hurry. _Is someone coming to help them?_

Taking a deep breath, he withdrew a scroll from his pocket, still moving with slow caution to avoid early detection. With a small smidgeon of a blood offering, the scroll dissolved, leaving a short wakizashi in his hand. The blade was utterly unremarkable, but it did the job.

_Stupid Ero-sennin wouldn't let me get one like Zabuza-baka._

Without even a hand seal, a number of clones popped silently into existence beside him – such was his mastery of the Kage Bunshin. "You know what to do," he whispered so quietly they had to strain their ears to listen.

A minute later he was in position as two clones made their moves. Naruto himself had shuffled around so he was in a position behind the darker one, ready to snatch the girl when the opportunity presented itself. His clones would provide the distractions.

And provide they did. One clone launched himself forward, utilising an violent descending vertical slash as he flew towards his opponent. An infusion of wind-natured chakra resulted in an enormous wave of damage and a great gouging in the earth, even as the hooded bastard leapt out of the destructive path, inadvertently leaping away from the captured Jinchuuriki.

"Hidan!" he cried. "Get ready!"

"I'm not quitting the fucking ritual!" Hidan shouted back.

"Then die," his partner replied flatly, even as Naruto's clone came at him again.

Another clone suddenly appeared, an identical wakizashi in his clenched fist, and he came down with a similar tremendous force, swinging violently at Hidan's neckline. The Akatsuki member, still pinned by his own black pipe, could only widen his eyes and open his mouth to scream as the wakizashi severed his head from his body.

_The element of surprise was a most useful ally_, Naruto reflected smugly.

"Hidan!" the other one growled angrily. "Quit fucking around!"

"Ow! He cut off my head! You fucking asshole prick! Kakazu, get the fuck over here and stitch me up! Hey, you! What's your fucking name?"

The clone that had just executed Hidan turned around, moving his attention from the one called Kakazu back to Hidan. "What the hell?" he screeched, looking disturbed at the sight of a talking head on the ground.

"YOU!" the head shouted. "I'm going to fuck you up, when I get my body back! You're a dead man! What's your name? You're dead, fucker!"

The clone was supremely confused, but he figured the head was separated, and the body was pinned, so he turned back to the one called Kakazu just in time to see the other clone destroyed. Bringing his short sword up before him, he engaged the enemy.

While all this was happening, Naruto himself had hastily unpinned the kunoichi from the wall and jumped a good distance away. He couldn't outrun them, he knew. He would have to go _there._ It would take them fourty days to follow him, even if they knew the secret paths to take. But there was no way they could know, since even he didn't.

Not even Ero-sennin knew those sacred paths.

He quickly withdrew another scroll from his pocket, and swiping a bloody thumb across it, he watched as the large scroll unrolled itself on the ground. Gathering the kunoichi in his lap, he sat cross-legged in the centre of the scroll and began forming handseals.

"He's got the two-tails!" Kakazu roared in rage.

"Fuck the two-tails! Come stick my head back on!"

"Pein will kill us if we don't bring the two-tails!"

It was as he saw Kakazu running at him menacingly that Naruto finally completed his rushed ninjutsu. "_Gyaku Kuchiyose no jutsu,_" he whispered, and was very happy to see smoke swirl around him.

oOoOoOo

Naruto let out a sigh of relief as he reappeared at his desired destination. For a moment he just sat, breathing heavily, relishing in the quiet, broken only by the occasional croak of frogs and the sound of a glistening stream of water. Then he let out a giddy laugh, adrenaline still coursing through him. "Reverse summoning, success!" he cheered loudly.

"Naruto?"

"Hey, Gamakichi!" The large toad was sprawled across the ground lazily, one bleary eye open, gazing at Naruto.

"It's good to see ya, bro. Fukasaku-sama will want to know you're here."

Naruto grinned. "It's good to be back. There really is no place like Myobokuzan!" He looked around hungrily, taking in his environs. The unconscious female kunoichi was still positioned in his lap as he sat cross-legged in the middle of a beautiful glade. Leaves and branches surrounded him, large enough for several bodies to lie on. Sunlight filtered through the overhead canopy, bathing the area around him. "This really is a beautiful place," he commented wistfully.

Gamakichi croaked happily at the compliment before his brow furrowed. "Naruto, bro… you brought an outsider? They're not gonna' be happy about that."

"It's not for long; just had to get out of there."

Gamakichi harrumphed, clearly wanting more of an elaboration, but he was willing to trust Naruto. "Okay, bro; let's go see the elders." And he began to hop away. Naruto hoisted himself to his feet and followed unhurriedly, the blonde kunoichi cradled carefully against his chest. He didn't like the way her arms flopped limply; it made him think of death – she felt the same way that Gaara had when Naruto had carried him to Chiyo-baa-san.

_She must really be out of it_.

He followed Gamakichi as they ventured to a clearing; a shallow pool and waterfall lay to the left and a hut-like dwelling sat to the right, located on a raised platform. A figure in an apron was waving enthusiastically with a wooden spoon from in front of the dwelling.

"Come on in, Naru-chan!" a high-pitched voice cried.

Naruto beamed and walked faster as he awkwardly shuffled the girl in his arms. "Ma!" he cried happily. "Hey!"

"Come in, come in! I made yer an extra dish, just like always!" The female elder toad gave a sound of gay laughter while Naruto tried to hide his grimace.

_Damnit, I hate Ma's food!_

He followed her inside the small dwelling, gently laying his unconscious companion on a layer of cushions on the floor as the elder toad gestured eagerly to the small table in the middle of the room. He obligingly took a seat on the floor and began to pick and nibble at the bland dish placed in front of him. It was supposedly healthy, but it just wasn't ramen.

"Shima-chan!" Fukasaku's voice cried from just outside. "What's that delicious smell?"

Naruto gamely swallowed a bite. He was momentarily certain that a slippery eel had just slithered down his throat. Great effort was expended so that he didn't regurgitate.

"Naru-chan is here!" she shouted back gleefully.

"Eh?" And with that exclamation, Fukasaku appeared in the small doorway of the dwelling. "Naruto-chan!" he cried as he hobbled over and clung to Naruto. "Hm, still growing; getting too tall, boy."

Naruto rubbed his neck sheepishly. "What can I say?"

Fukasaku's head jerked as he caught sight of Naruto's companion. "Hm? How'd she get here?"

"Um, ahahaha! I brought her here," Naruto admitted hesitantly, a hand running through his shoulder-length golden tresses. "But, but Akatsuki had her, and I wasn't gonna' let them take her and extract her bijuu, 'cause that'd kill her, and there's been enough death already!" he stated firmly.

Fukasaku snatched a bite of Naruto's food as he pondered, flinching when his wife smacked him over the head and laid his own bowl in front of him. "Hmm. Akatsuki is a problem," he admitted. "But we don't like having outsiders here, Naruto-chan."

"I know."

"Hey now," Shima interrupted, nodding her head repeatedly like a doll and waving a spatula threateningly. "Any friend of Naru-chan's is welcome here. But she can't be allowed to discover our secrets."

"No," Fukasaku agreed. "No, that cannot happen."

"I know," Naruto said again. "I wasn't intending to let her stay here. I just had to use the reverse summoning to get away from them. Thanks for teaching me that, by the way; it really saved my bacon! They were really freaky, too," he continued, referring to the Akatsuki, "I cut the head off one of them and he just kept on talking."

"You mean he was still alive?" came Gamakichi's croak from outside. The poor toad was too large to fit inside the small hut.

"Yeah, he was definitely a weirdo," Naruto murmured. "I could have sworn I killed him. You know, dead. A lot."

"Well, maybe you can ask your lady friend when she wakes up, Naruto-chan," Fukasaku suggested, slurping at his soup greedily.

Naruto scratched his chin, his eyes crinkled in thought. "Yeah. Yeah, they were after her, and she fought them, so yeah… she'll know."

"Who is she, anyway?" Shima asked, before bursting into croaking laughter. "Unless you've kidnapped yourself a woman, Naru-chan? Ahahahaha!"

"K-Kidnapped a woman?" Naruto blanched. "Are you crazy?"

"Word is you like older women, bro!" Gamakichi teased.

Naruto paled even further. "Ero-sennin _told you?_"

Shima laughed delightedly. "Of course he told us. Our little Naru-chan is becoming a man!"

"Ma!" he cried, scandalised that she took such joy in speaking about his sex life. He crossed his arms and sulked. "Does that mean you'll stop calling me Naru-chan?" he muttered.

"Not a chance!" Both elders laughed this time. Naruto cursed under his breath.

"So who is she, Naruto-chan?" Fukasaku pressed.

Naruto gave another nervous laugh. "I don't really know. But she's like me, except number two, I overhead from the Akatsuki."

There was a thoughtful sound from all three toads. "The Nibi, huh. If I remember correctly the two-tails was a great big cat. Gamabanta might know more about it."

Naruto shrugged. He moved over to look at the girl he'd stolen from Akatsuki's clutches. His eyes took in the headband of Kumogakure, displayed proudly on her forehead, before allowing his eyes to roam over her face and her rather well-defined body. "Eh!" he cried in shock. "She's a woman!"

"Well, yes, Naruto-chan; that's usually what happens. Girls have breasts."

Naruto waved his hand dismissively. "No, no, not that! I just thought she was a girl, not a woman."

"But you like older women, bro!" Gamakichi chimed in helpfully.

"Damnit, Gamakichi! It was _one_ woman – singular! – and I'm never telling Ero-sennin anything ever again!"

"I hope you're not calling the poor girl old, Naru-chan," Shima said with dangerously narrowed eyes.

"O-Of course not!" _Man, she's scarier than Sakura-chan when she wants to be!_

"Naruto-chan, I've got a very important question," Fukasaku spoke up. Naruto groaned; he knew what was coming. "When are you gonna' let me teach you some Senjutsu?"

"Oi!" Naruto objected. "I wanted to learn two years ago, and you said I was too young!"

"Well, you're not too young anymore. Your body has matured enough to handle the training and the natural energy."

Naruto huffed. "I dunno. Soon, I guess. I gotta' take care of this girl first. And finish my mission in Konoha. Maybe when things with Akatsuki calm down, I can take a break and come back for some training."

"Hm, okay. Make sure you do come back, though! It'll help you against Akatsuki. And I wanna' see you surpass Jiraiya-chan."

Naruto grinned foxily. "You've got a deal, old toad!"

oOoOoOo

"You lost the two-tails?"

The metallic voice didn't sound happy.

Nine holographic figures stood in a circle in the darkness of an isolated cave. Most seemed displeased with the unexpected call.

"Hey, asshole! We didn't _lose _it! It was stolen! _Stolen_!" Hidan cursed.

"Because you were performing that infernal ritual," Kakazu muttered angrily.

"Don't lay this on me, you fucker! That asshole came out of nowhere; that shit was _orchestrated_! It's like he knew exactly how to take me out of the game!"

"More like he realised what an annoying shit you are and decided to cut your head off to shut you up! _Believe me, _he's not the first one to think it!" Kakazu shouted back.

"Ooh, ooh, pick me!" Tobi cried, his silhouette jumping up and down on the spot, eager to contribute. "If he cut your head off, how are you still here? Tobi is confused!"

"Shut up, Tobi, yeah. This isn't a time for your idiocy, yeah."

"S-Sorry, Deidara-sempai!"

"Enough," the leader spoke. "This bickering is pointless –"

"I wouldn't have lost the two-tails," Tobi muttered quietly.

There was a moment of silence.

A shark-like laugh burst into the room. "I really like that guy!" A tall figure pointed at Tobi.

"Give me a second, yeah? _Death by choking!"_ Deidara's voice cried.

"D-Deidara-sempai?"

"**ENOUGH!**" Stillness became dominant throughout the cave as Pein's voice thundered.

"Who took the host?" The question was spoken quietly by someone who had yet to speak.

"At least _someone_ possesses the mental faculties to stay focused on task," a female voice spoke with condescension. "Thank you, Itachi."

A shadow with glowing red eyes gave a short nod, but otherwise held his silence.

"Itachi's right," came the leader's voice again. "Describe your assailant."

"He used clones," Kakazu said straight away. "And the attack _did _seem orchestrated, so he was likely very experienced with them."

The red-eyed Sharingan prodigy shifted.

"He was a blonde fucker," Hidan added. "With scars or something on his cheeks. Next time I see him, I'ma kill him! That fucker took my head!"

"Blonde hair, yeah? And scar-marks? Sounds like the nine-tails, yeah?"

"Itachi, you've had the most contact with the nine-tails; does it sound like him? Could he execute such a rescue?"

There was a moment of silence before Itachi spoke, reluctant as ever. "Naruto-kun has become strong."

"So it _was_ the nine-tails?" Kisame asked. "Pity I wasn't there; that brat was the best meal Samehada ever had. How come you immortal freaks didn't realise it was him?"

"Well how were we supposed to know, asshole? He didn't use any demonic chakra like any of the others do."

"Eh?" Kisame said dumbly. "No demonic chakra? He was using it last time I saw him, you zombie freak."

"Well he wasn't using it today, so go fuck yourself!" Hidan snarled.

"Enough. This is getting us nowhere. We will reacquire the two-tails, once we relocate it. In the meantime, we can still assimilate one or two more without the two-tails becoming essential. Deidara, Tobi, you will fetch the three-tails. As far as we know it has no current host. The rest of you will continue your current assignments."

"What about the nine-tails?" Kakazu asked.

"The nine-tails must be sealed last, but it may be wise to capture the host soon – before the vessel becomes overly powerful; the nine-tailed beast is almost twice as powerful as the eight-tails, after all, let alone the rest of them. If you come across it, bring it to me."

The members all nodded and began shifting, as though to leave.

"I want the nine-tails. _Alive_!"

oOoOoOo

It was two hours later that Naruto appeared in a swirl of smoke, looking around fervently for any sign of danger or pursuit. He didn't expect any; no one could track the travelling habits of the toads. _Except maybe Ero-sennin, but he's probably off perving somewhere_.

"Right where I wanted to be," he whispered, smiling.

Once again cradling the unconscious woman in his arms, he weaved through trees and bushes, cautiously heading towards his destination. When he'd confronted the freaky Akatsuki duo he had already been quite close to the Fire Country border, right next to the eastern edge of the continent. His current location was just a little south-east of there, in the Land of Waves across the chanel. They wouldn't expect him to come back to his original destination, he knew. Plus, they would know that Wave country didn't have any shinobi, so they would probably expect him to head back towards Konoha.

They would never look for him here.

Naruto giggled at his own cunning.

With careful steps he approached a house, secluded close to the tree line of the forest. Adjusting his position so as to carry the woman with one arm, nestling her against his hip, he knocked quietly on the door. A few long seconds passed before the door was opened.

Naruto squinted. "Inari? Is that you?"

The thirteen year old who answered the door gasped. "N-Naruto-nii-chan?"

"Yo!"

Inari beamed widely and moved forward, as though to hug Naruto. He stopped, however, when he saw the woman cradled in Naruto's arms. A loud gasp escaped him. "Y-You got _married_?"

"W-What?" Naruto said dumbly. "N-No way! Look, I'll explain if I can come inside, okay."

"Okay," Inari said blankly, moving aside and letting Naruto pass.

"This place looks exactly the same," Naruto said.

"We repainted it a completely different colour," Inari deadpanned.

"Oh. I knew that."

"Inari? What's going on?" A motherly voice asked.

Naruto turned around to see a beautiful woman entering the room, dressed in a thin cotton robe. "Tsunami-san!" he greeted, flushing slightly at her apparel.

_She looks great!_

"Who's that? Naruto!" She gazed at him blankly for a moment before smiling so widely that Naruto was sure she'd tear her cheeks open. She rushed forward and embraced him in a hug, uncaring of the woman in his arms. "It's good to see you! You're here for the second half of the pay-packet, aren't you?" She pulled back to look at the lump that was poking into her chest. "You… you got married …?"

Naruto scowled. "Why does everyone assume I'm involved with this woman?"

"Well, you're holding her rather close, you know," Inari chirped mischievously. Tsunami giggled.

"She was injured!" he retorted defensively.

"Come," Tsunami bid eagerly. "Let's get her settled upstairs and we can take a look at her. Then we'll go to bed and you can tell us all about it tomorrow."

"Great," Naruto agreed. "Thanks for letting me stay. I know I just sorta' showed up."

"It's not a problem. You're always welcome here," Tsunami smiled.

Not even an hour later, the strange kunoichi had been placed in a warm bed while Naruto had set up a blanket on the floor so he could watch over her during the night. Tsunami had applied bandages to the woman's superficial wounds while Naruto waited outside.

"That should do it. She should have a shower when she wakes up, to clean off all the grime. If Inari and I aren't here when you guys wake up tomorrow, just make yourself at home. It's good to see you again." She gave Naruto another firm hug (he blushed at the feel of her), then giggled as she headed out of the room.

"Hey, Tsunami," he called after her. "Where's old man Tazuna?"

"Oh, he's on a construction job on the other side of the island. He'll be back in a day or two if you're still around. Now, get some sleep, young man!"

"Yes, ma'am!" he saluted.

And he lay down and very promptly fell asleep.

He came awake a fair number of hours later. The first thing he noticed was the smell of pre-dawn; a scent he'd always liked, with hints of moisture in the air. It made him think of rain.

The second thing he noticed was the sharp edge of steel biting into his neck. His senses shot to attention after he'd processed that fact. His eyes snapped open and his body jerked responsively. He could see a mess of blonde hair, slung forward over his assailant's face, as though attempting to hide the striking amethyst orbs of her eyes – like she was trying to look out while keeping people from looking within.

Naruto was no Yamanaka, but that fairly screamed of a lonely soul. To him at least. Or maybe he was just thinking crazy because she held a kunai to his neck.

Naruto opened his mouth to say hello when he felt the kunai jab into his skin, just a bit deeper. Her body was firm as she lay on top of him; firm and competent – he couldn't underestimate her.

"Akatsuki had me, now you do; where are _they_, and who are _you_?"

There was a moment's silence.

"Did you… mean to make that rhyme?" he asked dumbly.

The kunai dug a little deeper and he grimaced. She was damned close to piercing the skin. "Okay, okay," he soothed. "Take it easy."

"Who are you?" she demanded again, her voice a hoarse whisper. Her eyes were fierce, and he knew she felt as a cornered animal might. He would be the same way if Akatsuki had taken him.

"I am Uzumaki Naruto," he proclaimed, as though that should say it all.

She took a moment to consider this. "Alright, Uzumaki Naruto; where am I?"

"We're in the Land of Waves."

"We? What's this 'we' business?"

"I brought you here," he admitted.

"Why?" she snarled, her voice still pitched too low to attract attention. "Hoping to ransom me for money? The Raikage won't bargain!"

"Actually, I thought I'd help out someone who needed it," he replied angrily. He could understand her hesitance to trust him, but she didn't have to be so damned hostile. "Ransom?" he sneered, "Sold? Have you been beaten? Are you chained? Are you restrained and naked? No! Your wounds are bandaged and you're free to move! So why don't you get the fuck out of my face, and get the hell off me?"

She seemed taken aback by his vehemence and his passionate defiance. For a moment she gaped at him, open-mouthed.

Taking advantage, he surged into explosive plyometric action. His hips thrust upwards, elevating her lithe body with it; his hands reached out, lightning-quick, to snag her wrists and drag the kunai blade away from his neck.

It was only a few milliseconds before she reacted and they began to grapple, fighting determinedly over the kunai. It was a blind struggle of fists and wrists as she managed to free one hand, clawing desperately at his face, right before he captured it again and rolled on top of her to pin her down. The kunai clattered to the floor as he pinned her with his strong hands and dominant hips, both of them breathing heavily.

For a moment everything was quiet, save for their laboured breathing.

"Are you going to listen to me now? Or continue to act like an ungrateful brat?"

For a moment she glared up at him hatefully, before seemingly realising everything he'd just said about her being free of restraint was true. Her wrists went slack in his fists. "Fine," she muttered, as the fight went out of her.

He continued to look at her closely, looking for any sign of deceit. Her wrists wriggled slightly in his grip – a sign of some kind.

"You can get off me now," she said firmly, though a dull flush crept up her neck.

"Huh?" Naruto looked down and noticed their position; he was lying full atop her, his body perfectly cradled in the V of her hips. It was an extremely intimate position; one utilised primarily by lovers all across the world. Naruto could imagine that it was almost as if they were… "Oh!" he cried, throwing himself off her in shock, his face blushing fiercely. He shuffled back on his hands and buttocks and feet, his back slapping against the wall. "I didn't… Um, I didn't mean to, uh…"

"Well, I suppose you really aren't a rapist. If you were you would have been far more comfortable in our previous position." Her voice was filled with muted disdain.

His retort was sharp. "I _was_ comfortable in our previous –!" He drew a sharp breath as her eyes narrowed and he realised what he'd said. "I mean – I didn't mean – I'm comfortable around women, okay!" he finished defensively.

"Of course you are," she replied, patronising to the utmost.

She continued to glare at him and he glared right back, unwilling to cede this engagement to her. Looking her over, he gulped. "Um, you should, er, close your robe, probably," he mumbled, closing his eyes firmly.

He heard her gasp and a shuffle of clothes as she did so. His face was burning. She _did _look good, though. He swallowed and ran a palm over his face in frustration. "What's your name?" he asked.

She was silent and he opened his eyes just in time to see her mulling over her situation. Eventually she came to a decision.

"Nii Yugito, Jounin of Kumogakure, Serial Number 11736."

oOoOoOo

**To Be Continued...**

**A/N: **I hope everyone understood all Japanese words and references to the manga. And hopefully this story isn't so very far beyond your realm of belief.

**25/9/10:**

The basic premise for this story was to write about a scenario where Naruto and Yugito might meet and fall in love. Initially, it was to be a multi-chaptered venture, probably racking up two hundred thousand words and encompassing the majority of the Naruto manga (part 2, at least), but I'm quite certain I have not the dedication to complete such a story. Thus, I have shortened it down to two chapters only, and this story explored the initial meeting and the _potential_ to fall in love. So if you're looking for scenes of a highly sexual nature, you're in for disappointment.

Things I wanted to include:

A mature Naruto, who reflected on everything that had happened to him and reacted with some plausibility;

A Naruto who was not quite so singular in his ninja techniques, resulting from two and a half years of _solid_ training from Jiraiya, beyond merely improving the size of the Rasengan and forcefully extracting the Nine-tails' chakra; and

A Naruto who, while still flying by the seat of his pants, had learned some semblance of strategy.

For anyone who claims that Naruto had it too easy against Akatsuki, I'll contend that he wasn't engaging them head-to-head, and completely caught them by surprise. He had a few clones distracting them while he essentially ran away with Yugito. He was able to dispatch Hidan so easily because the guy was still pinned by his black ritual pipe. And because it was Akatsuki, Naruto had no qualms about immediately going for the kill.

Sincerely,

bourkem


	2. Chapter 2

_**Rating: M**_

_**Warnings: Violence, Sexual References**_

oOoOoOo

_**Previously, on In The Presence of Enemies:**_

"_He's got the two-tails!" Kakazu roared in rage._

_It was as he saw Kakazu running at him menacingly that Naruto finally completed his rushed ninjutsu. "Gyaku Kuchiyose no jutsu," he whispered, and was very happy to see smoke swirl around him._

"_Blonde hair, yeah? And scar-marks? Sounds like the nine-tails, yeah?"_

_There was a moment of silence before Itachi spoke, reluctant as ever. "Naruto-kun… has become strong."_

"_I want the nine-tails. Alive!"_

_He heard her gasp and a shuffle of clothes as she did so. His face was burning. She did look good, though. He swallowed and ran a palm over his face in frustration. "What's your name?" he asked._

_She was silent and he opened his eyes just in time to see her mulling over her situation. Eventually she came to a decision._

"_Nii Yugito, Jounin of Kumogakure, Serial Number 11736."_

oOoOoOo

**Part 2: Salvation - A Story of Eleven Tails**

oOoOoOo

"Nii Yugito, Jounin of Kumogakure, Serial Number 11736."

"Gah!" The boy sighed. "Is that all you know how to say? You were more talkative last night."

"Nii Yugito, Jounin of Kumogakure, Serial Number 11736."

He blew out a long breath of frustration. "It's not like I'm asking for every single secret of Kumogakure, here! I just wanna' know about the Akatsuki guys you faced off with. What their skills and weaknesses are and all that."

She glared at him, as uncooperative as ever.

"You suck," he muttered resignedly before turning and trudging his way downstairs.

Yugito let out a harsh breath of relief as he left her alone. He was wearing her down, through sheer annoyance no less. He was most assuredly not a natural-born interrogator but he'd already extracted more information about her than she was comfortable with anyone having. Of course, given his apparent intellect, she didn't think he'd realised it.

He was a complete unknown, because he wasn't acting like any shinobi of Konohagakure she'd ever encountered before. He wasn't hostile, by any stretch of the word.

He wasn't like any shinobi from _anywhere_ she'd ever encountered before, if she was completely honest.

He had absolutely no regard for his own safety; he left her unrestrained, and had given her kunai back; granted, he hadn't put the kunai directly into her hand and bared his throat, but he had left it in her room with her, in a very accessible position on the chest of drawers.

_Has he no sense of self-preservation?_

And why couldn't she seem to bring herself to attack him and make her escape? She was almost fully recovered from her attack, after all; her wounds were healing, and she could feel the demonic gathering of chakra within her growing every minute.

And still she stayed in this room, allowing him to bring her food and fresh bandages.

Yes, she decided. He was a complete unknown.

So she'd decided to say nothing - only the standard answers of name, rank, and serial number to his seemingly unending questions. He was annoyingly persistent, and she was relieved that he didn't seem the slightest bit interested in progressing further in the interrogation process. There had been zero threats of rape or torture. She honestly didn't think it had even crossed his mind.

Was he so pure of heart, then? Or was he just an idiot? She reflected carefully on all of his facial expressions…

_Definitely an idiot!_

She swiftly stood up and rid herself of the pyjamas she'd been given, deftly donning the lilac robe that had been laid out on the bed for her. It was a smooth texture and a pleasant feeling fabric; it felt soft and intimate against her skin. A Konoha dog he may have been, but he had good taste. He'd come in, blushing fiercely as he hesitantly deposited the robe on the bed before flitting quickly back out the door. The robe and the blush had endeared him to her even more, and she knew he hadn't even intended it; he was completely oblivious to both the way he appeared and her inner turmoil.

_Stupid Konoha dog!_

He was young for a shinobi – at least in times of peace. He couldn't be more than sixteen, if she had to guess – probably even younger. Sometimes it seemed he could be as young even as fourteen. What was strange was that she felt a kinship with him – small though it was – as though he was somehow familiar to her.

She hoped it was only because he'd saved her life, and not because of some 'deeper meaning', so to speak. There was no way in hell she was going to allow something as pathetic as Nightingale Syndrome or Stockholm Syndrome to develop between them. Especially not on her side.

That being said, she hoped he wouldn't think her unappreciative just because she didn't answer his questions. She was very appreciative – no one _wanted_ to die, especially her. And so far Uzumaki Naruto hadn't asked for anything, except some information about Akatsuki. If she wasn't so loyal to Kumo she might have been swayed by his earnest requests, but she was a loyal kunoichi to the core.

It was really all she had.

Questions burned inside her, and she wanted so very badly to abandon protocol and _speak_, to ask questions and give evasive answers in turn. There were worse people she could talk to, she knew. And his voice was pleasant enough. Not particularly deep and still ringing of youth, but it set her at ease and provided some measure of comfort. She really shouldn't allow herself to feel this way, she knew, but she couldn't help it.

He was just so _genuine_. It was impossible not to relax around him – or to relax as much as possible when he wouldn't stop babbling nonsense.

A knock sounded on the door, before he opened it and entered, a hand covering his eyes. He was respectful, if nothing else. No, that wasn't true – he had neither respect nor manners, but he was mindful of her privacy.

"Oi, Yugito, you're not getting changed, are ya? I've got food down here for you."

She thought about repeating her name and rank again, just to annoy him, but her stomach answered for her, rumbling greedily.

The boy chuckled and hesitantly removed his hand from his eyes. He smiled, taking in her robed form, free of bandages and ill-fitting pyjamas. "Hungry, huh," he joked. Then he beckoned with a hand. "Come on, let's go get a feed."

He turned and left the room, not even watching her, completely unconcerned with an attack from behind. _He's definitely the most surprising person I've ever met,_ she conceded thoughtfully. _A truly idiotic ninja._

She trailed behind him slowly, taking in the surrounding stimuli and environment. The halls she traversed were painted a mild, welcoming blue – perhaps indicative of a family home. Framed photographs hung upon hooks as she descended the stairs. She eventually reached the bottom and looked around, taking in an open room with a low-set table in the middle, with food laid upon it. A sliding glass door was across the room, providing a pretty view of the forest. An open window in the corner gave way to a slight breeze, refreshing the air.

Yugito quickly swiped the air with her tongue, tasting salt and moisture – it tasted like the ocean; perhaps Naruto had spoken the truth and she really was somewhere near the Land of Waves. With one more look around, she settled herself gingerly on the floor in front of the table.

Even as she fought against the feeling, the whole room set her at ease; it just seemed so _domestic_. Did Naruto live here with his family? Why would a Konoha ninja live here?

_Safe, _she thought. _It makes me feel safe, if such a concept exists._

Naruto certainly seemed to think it did. He was casually shoving food in his mouth and slurping down his drink, completely oblivious to any kind of table manners or hostly decorum. He caught her looking at him, and she felt heat creep up her neck.

"What?" he asked, his cheeks bloated with fish.

He was so very… unpolished.

"Nothing," she muttered, allowing her loose hair to fall forward, acting as a shielding curtain from his sharp gaze. He was stubborn and oblivious to some things, but she was fast learning that in some ways his eyes saw _everything_. Very blue eyes, she realised.

"Eat, eat!" he encouraged.

Yugito wrinkled her nose at the smell of fish. It was rather generic, very common, and she most assuredly would have preferred a tuna influence (especially tekkadon), but there clearly wasn't any being offered. She could remember hearing about Wave country a number of years ago; it had been a rather poor country, if she recalled correctly – under the control of some dictatorial tyrant. She couldn't be certain, of course; this place had never been a great priority for the ninja population of Kumogakure.

Hesitantly, she raised a bite to her mouth, her teeth gently brushing against the chopstick. Her eyes widened slightly as she chewed delicately and swallowed. "This is good," she said with surprise. Her surprise increased when she saw Naruto puff out his chest proudly.

"Of course it is," he bragged, "I made it!" He thrust an excited fist in the air.

Her brow twitched in amazement. _Is he retarded?_

"Didn't catch it, though," he continued, oblivious to her impression of him, "Inari probably did – he's got lots of fishing poles in his room. He and Tsunami aren't here right now, and old man Tazuna will be back in a few days, so it's just us. Don't worry, I'm good at cooking –"

"Who are these people you are referring to?" she asked.

Naruto blinked at the interruption. "Eh? Oh! They live in this house – I was visiting them when I came across your battle with Akatsuki. Yep, yep," he nodded eagerly. "This was my final destination, so this is where we fled to. Akatsuki doesn't know that, though, so they won't get their hands on either of us."

Anger crept up Yugito's spine; her face reddened. "You were _there_, for the entire battle? And you did nothing to help?" Then again, why should he help? Their respective countries weren't exactly allies...

"Huh? Oh, nah, I only showed up when your chakra disappeared. Then I waited a few minutes to see what they would do, and one of 'em did this weird ritual thing where he stabbed himself, so I cut off his head – it was awesome!"

"A ritual?" she said blankly.

"Nah, that bit was boring; I meant cutting off his head was awesome."

"No, no! What was the ritual about?"

"Oh, yeah – he seemed like he was just a real religious nut! But I guess you get all kinds of crazies in this world, huh."

"You're one of them," she muttered before she thought to rein in her mouth.

"Huh?" he asked, his eyes squinting.

"Nothing," she demurred. He really _was_ a bit of an idiotic ninja.

Another few minutes of silence passed as they both consumed the food he had set before them. Yugito ate politely, grateful for the sustenance, while Naruto stuffed his face as though the food would grow legs and run away. '_He would probably be foolish enough to chase it if it did…'_

Eventually, she couldn't help herself. Just who was this person, who claimed to rescue her from Akatsuki, probably knowing she had a demon sealed inside her? And why did he feel the need to bind her wounds and feed her fish and make her feel relaxed and _safe_?

She had to look at him.

His hair was blonde, and at first glance it appeared spiky, but upon acquaintance she could see that within the straightened spikes were small waves and rivulets of hair, a brilliant golden colour; she imagined it would gleam brightly in the sunlight and fade slightly in the shadows. He was attractive, she noted with some surprise. His skin was smooth and blemish-free – a highly attractive quality in anyone's mind. She supposed that since his mouth was so hyperactive that the only impression of him you could manage was that of his voice. But once you actually _looked _at him…

Yes, rather attractive.

His shoulders were broad and he was well muscled, she noted, eyeing the tight short-sleeved shirt that clung to him like a second skin. '_His muscles are toned, but not overly bulky; a perfect balance for a shinobi, providing strength and minimising bulk to maximise speed – this guy is not to be underestimated, even though he's so young.'_

"W-Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked her, shifting nervously in his seat.

It was only then that Yugito realised her neutral perusal of him had morphed into a glare, influenced no doubt by the realisation that he may just be able to physically match her in a fight. "Why did you do it?" she finally asked, struggling to get the words out. Her voice was choked, her throat tight.

She couldn't understand _why_.

"Uh, do what?" he asked, squinting again.

"Why did you face off with Akatsuki just to help me?" she snapped.

His face bristled at her tone and his jaw tilted stubbornly. "I told you, I was helping someone who needed it."

She knew it wasn't him that she was angry at – on the contrary she was very grateful to him; it was her own self who inspired her current ire. She should have been strong enough to engage those two bastards, but they'd just kept getting up again no matter how many times she'd killed them. It seemed even the bijuu couldn't match up to Akatsuki. Were they truly immortal beings?

In the meantime, he was the only one around for her at which to vent her anger.

"I didn't need your help!" she retorted bitingly, her voice filled with misplaced rage.

"You sure as hell did!" Naruto snarled, standing up and slamming his hands down on the table in front of her. Bowls and cups rattled in the sudden silence. "If I hadn't come along, they would have yanked your demon right out of you and you'd be _dead!_"

"And what business is it of yours?" she bellowed, eyes flashing as she stood up to match him. "Why do you even care?"

"I care," he bit out, "Because I won't let them steal someone else's life!" She jumped in fright as he moved swiftly towards her, prowling like a graceful panther in his anger. Her back slapped firmly against the wooden wall as she retreated warily from him. "I care, because you are a human being, and so many of us have already fallen prey to them!"

He continued towards her and she gasped as his body pressed close against her, and she was stuck between his hardness and the wall. Heat and righteous anger radiated from him; it scalded her, making her breathless.

"But why?" she demanded. "_Why?_ Why would you care about any of the Jinchuuriki? Normal people just don't _do that!_" Why did this subject inspire such passion in him? And why was she allowing herself to be drawn in by him?

His face softened slightly. She thought that maybe it had occurred to him that she wasn't fighting against his caring; her problem was simply that she couldn't understand it. His breathing slowed slightly, even though his chest still rose and fell powerfully against hers; his hands loosened on her shoulders.

Heat continued to ooze from him – she felt irrationally warm inside.

The boy's face became blank as he continued to stare at her. "I know what it's like to be alone in this world," he whispered.

Yugito shifted uneasily. The mood in the room had changed suddenly, and he was too close. He had too much of an effect on her – he cared too much, and she was too vulnerable to him.

Why _him?_

This was too much. Too close. Too vulnerable.

She had to get away from him, but even as she started to move his body pressed against her with more force, and she was stuck. She wasn't trapped – she could have forced her way out, but...

"When I found you," he continued, his voice hoarse, "You were... you were strung up, like a slab of meat. Your arms pinned to the wall, stabbed through the hand. You hung there, lifeless, and you were all alone in the world, and you had no one to help you."

Yugito searched his eyes desperately for any sign of deception, but she found none. He honestly cared about someone he'd never met – he cared, though he knew she contained a demon.

"I care," he concluded gently, "Because I made a promise a long time ago, to live a life without regrets. And I would have greatly regretted not helping you the other day."

Yugito felt her eyes widen by an impossible margin. She stammered for an answer, but was completely dumbfounded at his reasoning. It was logical, but people like him just didn't exist in her world. She'd never met anyone like that.

His hand came up to cup her cheek gently – she turned her cheek into his warm palm, even as she cursed herself for it – and his voice was full of sorrow. "Have you truly lived a life so lonely that it's inconceivable that someone might care for someone else who has lived a similar existence?" he whispered. All of his previous anger was gone, eradicated in the wake of the glimpse he'd had of her soul, she was sure.

It was all just too much. The death of two of her teammates, slain by the Akatsuki scum; her battle with said bastards and her subsequent defeat; waking up in a strange place with a strange person, a strange person who _cared_ about what happened to her – who could see into her very soul …

It was just all too much.

Tears welled in her eyes and she tried so desperately to hold back the great wracking sobs that wanted out of her…

And she just couldn't do it anymore.

She sagged against him, collapsing heavily into his startled frame as she sobbed her pain and misery. And then she felt herself sinking, safe in his arms, to the floor beneath them, and she was cradled in his lap, and she felt warm and safe_._

For a long time, she sobbed.

oOoOoOo

Yugito rubbed her eyes tiredly as she moved through the forest, Naruto at her side. Occasionally their arms would brush, and she would feel unnaturally warm again, unable to stop herself from remembering the feeling of being wrapped up in his arms.

She could remember her meltdown, and the shame and mortification that had followed. He hadn't cared; he'd simply wiped her tears rocked her back and forth.

Eventually she had come regained her composure, finding herself tucked snugly against his side with his arm about her shoulders.

"_How is it you don't care that I have a demon inside me?" she finally whispered, her head cushioned against his chest. For over an hour, she'd lain in his arms, unable to fall into the welcome oblivion of sleep._

_He seemed reluctant to answer her. Did he not trust her or was there some other reason? There was some kind of male logic at work here, she was sure._

"_A friend of mine was like you," he murmured finally. "The Ichibi."_

_There was silence as Yugito processed his words. 'Was like you'. Did that mean his friend was..._

"_I'm sorry," she whispered._

_He was silent._

_Behind her she heard a movement. He had raised his hand, she knew, but she couldn't decipher what he was doing..._

_There was a tender touch on her hair..._

_... and then his hand fell back down to the floor without touching her further._

At the time, she'd had neither the energy nor the will to move away from him and rebuild her mental defences – to cover her vulnerabilities. She had absently promised herself that she'd distance herself from him tomorrow or the day after.

That day had come.

She hadn't touched him in any way since, afraid as she was to succumb to his unconscious lure.

There'd been no more talk of any of it and he hadn't brought up her breakdown once. They'd waited another day for her to heal properly and he'd picked up the pay-packet for his mission (he was far too free with information), and they'd (_he!_) decided that he would escort her to the land of Kumo.

She'd fought that decision, of course; her pride as a kunoichi would allow her to do nothing less, but she was secretly grateful that he'd taken the decision out of her hands. She hadn't really had a choice at all.

"_Well," he said, "I'm going to Kumo – nice time for a holiday – and you can tag along or not; whatever you like."_

Simultaneous with their departure, he'd sent off a message to Konoha, relaying his situation and decision. Then they'd headed to the north edge of the island of Waves. She'd thought he'd been headed for a port where they could buy or barter passage on a boat or ferry, but that had not been the case.

He'd stopped on the beach and walked to the water's edge and summoned… a frog? A rather small frog, to be entirely accurate. And he'd taken her hand, sending an unnerving feeling running up her arm, and stretched out his other hand towards the frog. She'd watched, quite alarmed, as the frog began to literally chomp on Naruto's arm, its toothless mouth expanding, swallowing him up before moving down his arm to their connected hands. Yugito had fought fiercely to get away, but Naruto's grip had been too strong (probably enhanced by chakra), and then the darkness had swallowed her, within the frog's mouth.

She'd clung to Naruto, knowing she was still alive and not in hell only by the feel of him.

"_Don't worry," he whispered against her neck, causing goosebumps to rise, "This is how it's supposed to go."_

Eventually, after an undetermined amount of time, the process had reversed itself and she'd found herself crawling from a bloated mouth onto the beaches of Lightning Country.

And here they were, walking towards Kumogakure through the forests.

"Just so we're clear," she spoke up, "We're never travelling by those frogs again. You're lucky that thing didn't slobber all over me! Don't know how it managed not to, considering we were in its filthy mouth for hours on end."

"So we're travelling together again, are we?" he teased.

"Shut up."

They walked in silence for another minute.

"They're toads, you know."

"What?"

"Toads, not frogs; they get pissy if you call them frogs." She could see his grin out of the corner of her eye.

"How about you and your toads go and jump off a cliff!" she snarled.

"Oh, they do –" he chirped.

_Dear god, why is he so damned chirpy?_

"– you see, in Myobokuzan, there's these great big cliffs and waterfalls, and they bomb-dive from the top to see who can make the biggest splash. It's really fun –"

"Do you ever shut up?" she exclaimed angrily.

Naruto stopped speaking and blinked at her abrasiveness. "There's no need to get snippy just 'cause you've never bomb-dived with the toads," he mumbled.

"I don't give a kunai's tit about the toads!" she shrieked.

She saw his face scrunch up in absolute confusion at the expression 'kunai's tit', before he let it go, favouring irritation with her new-found mood. "Then what's up your ass?" he sniped.

Yugito grit her teeth and ignored him, stomping ahead.

What _was_ up her ass?

_Gee, maybe it's the fact that I've known this guy for less than three days, and I've already broken down in front of him like a blubbering baby; something I've never done in front of __**anyone!**_

She let out a tired sigh as her frustration melted away, replaced only by weariness. Yes, that was the problem – he'd seen the depths of her soul as no one else had, and she hated him for it.

She was snapped out of her contemplations by a hand on her shoulder. She looked up, stumbling backwards as Naruto roughly dragged her behind him, shielding her with his body.

"Who's there?" he called into the trees.

Silence greeted him.

Yugito stretched out her senses, having caught on to what was happening. After discovering who was nearby she decided to speak up. "Samui," she called.

A figure blurred from the surrounding foliage and landed in front of them, standing tall and proud. Beside her, Yugito noticed Naruto squinting at the new arrival. _Maybe he normally wears glasses or something._ "Naruto, this is Samui. She's a friend."

"Indeed, I am a friend," Samui spoke smoothly with authority, her blonde, layered hair shimmying delicately with the slight movements of her head. "But even I need to be sure you aren't under duress."

"Eh? Under duress?" Naruto parroted.

Yugito blushed, looking around uncomfortably, avoiding Naruto's gaze. "Cats have nine lives," she muttered.

"Huh?" Naruto said again.

"Your password is… correct," Samui smirked. Certain of Yugito's identity and free-will, she sauntered forward, briefly appraising Naruto with her eyes. Her face sobered slightly as she looked Yugito over. "Nice change of clothes. Word was you got taken by Akatsuki… who's the stiff?" Her head tilted towards Naruto.

_Those three sentences could have been summed up by 'what happened, Yugito?' _she thought_._

"Who you callin' a stiff?" Naruto challenged.

"Naruto!" Yugito barked. "Don't start antagonising people! Please. I know you excel at it."

"Antaga-what?" he queried.

Yugito sighed. "Nevermind, let's just go."

Samui seemed most interested in Naruto, and Yugito knew why. As the host of the Nibi, she was normally a very reserved person, speaking only when addressed; it wasn't any average shinobi who could get under Yugito's skin. _Great, now she knows something happened between us. Probably thinks I'm bedding him. Now there's a thought - vomit!_

The next half an hour was spent ascending a mountain range to get to Kumogakure itself. Naruto's voice was very frequently heard as he complained about the uphill climb and the lightning that flashed in the distance.

"Does he ever shut up?" Samui muttered out the corner of her mouth.

"No," Yugito replied forlornly.

"Could just knock him out and carry him."

Yugito shook her head. "He's more durable than he looks."

Samui grunted.

They both shared a look and stopped as they simultaneously realised Naruto wasn't immediately behind them. "Naruto, what the hell are you doing?"

"What am I doing? I'm taking off my damn cloak! We're about to get in the middle of thunderstorms and all that, and it's the only one I've got, so I need to keep it dry."

"Won't you get wet?" Samui asked with a lofted eyebrow.

"Bah, water's water," Naruto returned as his jacket puffed into smoke and a small scroll appeared in his hand, which he promptly tucked away into a pocket. "Good time for a shower, anyway."

Yugito glared at him. "You're an idiot," she muttered as she turned and continued her ascent.

"And you're a tight-ass," he rejoined easily.

For the next few minutes she fumed. Until it started raining. Then she sulked.

Naruto began bouncing around excitedly, running forward and back and around her and Samui. He repeatedly called out in the rain, cupping his hands around his mouth to try to listen for some kind of echo, she suspected. She would have told him to stop being a prick, but she was distracted by the way the wet shirt clung to his torso, and the way the muscles corded and bunched in his chest and back and arms. Her mouth felt dry.

"Yummy," Samui purred beside her. Yugito glared and elbowed her. "What?" Samui asked. "Nothin' wrong with looking."

"He's a Konoha dog," Yugito muttered, not sure she wanted to think about the reason why she didn't want Samui looking at Naruto.

"I don't have a dog!" Naruto called back to them as he came closer, still dancing in the rain. The two ladies tensed and shared a look. _Sharp ears!_

"Kiba does, though. But that's the deal with his whole clan; they partner up with their dogs in ninja training and everything. It's kinda cool." Naruto skipped ahead again, diving through clouds of mist.

"Does he realise he's giving away Konoha secrets?" Samui asked rhetorically.

Yugito didn't bother to reply. "We're almost there; let's pick up the pace."

And so they did. It was another hour before they made it into the village proper and were escorted into the Raikage's office. During the journey, Naruto looked around avidly, squinty-eyed, trying to take in what he could as they moved through the streets. A platoon of Kumo jounin shadowed him at all times from the rooftops, watching as he hopped energetically from foot to foot.

Eventually the Raikage swept in, big and black and imposing. Naruto whistled at the sight of him. Yugito felt his warm minty breath wash over her neck as he leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Are you sure he's the Raikage? Doesn't look too bright."

"What was that?" The Raikage boomed, rage crossing his face as he stood up from his seat.

"Well I didn't say you weren't bright," Naruto muttered petulantly, "I just said you don't _look_ too bright."

"You little runt!" The Raikage leapt swiftly and appeared in front of Naruto, his fist drawn back to deliver a powerful strike. To Yugito's eye, Naruto didn't even seem inclined to dodge; content to just take the hit. She winced as a loud abrasive crack echoed through the air. The expected sound of broken walls and glass didn't come, however.

Naruto was standing there, his head turned away sharply, a significant bruise forming on his cheek. A soft fizzle in the air indicated that he'd used a large amount of chakra to reduce the impact of the blow. A single tooth popped out of his mouth as blood dripped from the corner of his lips. "Ow," he muttered.

The Raikage blinked.

_To take such a strike without avoiding it…_

Yugito decided to act before everyone got too riled up. "You deserved that one, Naruto," she smirked.

"Doesn't mean it didn't hurt," he whined childishly.

"Y-Yugito?"

She turned her gaze from Naruto to look at the Raikage. "Heya boss-man!" she said cheerfully.

Everyone seemed taken aback by her upbeat attitude; she couldn't blame them, since she was usually more of a downer. And she hadn't been this cheerful even half and hour ago. Apparently Naruto had rubbed off on her.

The village leader gaped at her for a moment before sweeping her into a fierce hug. "Damn! Good to see you, soldier. I thought Akatsuki had you for sure! I guess you really do have nine lives, eh."

"Um," Yugito shifted uncomfortably. "Actually, Akatsuki did get me. They had me beat, and then I woke up and Naruto was looking after me, giving me bandages and food and clothes." She gestured vaguely to the robe she was wearing.

"Y-You're wearing a robe..." one of the Jounin said blankly.

"Oi!" Naruto chirped angrily. "I chose that robe! What's wrong with it?"

"You –?" the Raikage began, pointing at Naruto while looking incredulously at Yugito. He seemed unable to finish his sentence. His finger moved back and forth between Naruto and herself. Yugito felt her face heat up; she knew what they were all thinking.

Naruto was oblivious to the thoughts and insinuations in the room. "What's he talking about?"

"Nothing," the Raikage growled, then winced at his harsh tone. Yugito knew he didn't want to be nice to anyone from Konoha, but Naruto _had_ rescued one of his best shinobi and brought her back. "What's your name, boy?"

"I am Uzumaki Naruto!" he cried with a crisp salute.

"Indeed, Uzumaki. And how is it you brought Yugito back to us?"

"Oh, man! It was awesome! I cut off this guy's head, and he kept talking – wasn't dead or anything –"

"Naruto," Yugito interrupted with a sigh of suffering.

Naruto's upper lip twitched at the interruption. "What?"

"Maybe I should tell the story, okay?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes and grumbled at her. He turned and stalked to the window, looking out over the village. She could hear his grumbling, and it amused her. The words 'boring' and 'stick-up-the-ass' caught everyone's ears.

Yugito spoke succinctly, summarising what she knew about Naruto's rescue of her and his bringing her home. Naruto tried to explain again about his beheading of the one called Hidan, but Yugito shushed him.

"So… you ran away?" Samui teased when Yugito had finished relaying the events of the past few days.

Naruto glared at her. "I didn't _run away!_ I made a stratatical decision to retreat –"

"Strategical," Yugito corrected.

"Yeah, that's what I said," Naruto waved his hand absently. Yugito caught the glimpses of everyone else in the room, knowing they were wondering how she put up with him for the last three days without killing him. Or perhaps without killing herself. She smiled slightly at them. It was good to be home.

"Yo!" a voice chirped. Everyone watched, startled and bemused, as a rotund figure jumped on top of Uzumaki Naruto's head. "Hey bro!"

"Huh?" Naruto scrambled to pull the thing off his head and held it up, squinting at it. "Kosuke! Where'd you come from?" he cried, but continued speaking, not bothering to wait for an answer. "Hey, little buddy! Are those the goggles I gave ya?" His excitement melted away as his look turned inquisitive. "Oi, what are you doing here?"

"The old lady sent me, bro."

"Tsunade no baa-chan?"

Yugito cleared her throat delicately. "You – you call Tsunade of the Densetsu no Sannin…. 'baa-chan'?"

"Of course! She may look young, but she's really an old hag. It's all genjutsu." Naruto closed his eyes and nodded resolutely to emphasise his point.

Silence reigned in the office for a moment. The... _thing_ called Kosuke waggled his feet as he was held up in mid-air. Yugito had no idea what to say to Naruto's proclamation. A shinobi who didn't show respect to his Kage…?

"Anyway, she says that since you're here, you can be the new liaison to Kumogakure. Temporarily, of course."

"Liaison? With Cloud?" Naruto scratched his chin before beaming and giggling. "Finally she's acknowledged my brilliance! My power and awesomeness!" Naruto began to jump around, swinging his fists wildly in excitement. "First it's liaisons, and then chuunin, then I'll jump right to Hokage. Mmmm-hmmmm!" He continued to giggle and swing his fists.

"He's only a genin and taking on Akatsuki?" someone muttered. Yugito's ears perked up at that thought.

"Do we need a liaison with Konoha?" the Raikage leaned over and muttered in Samui's ear.

"No," she replied, "I think Hokage-dono is just trying to make sure we don't have a reason to arrest Naruto-san for trespassing."

Naruto's enthusiastic efforts only jerked to a stop when his fist thudded into the wall, and cracks began to spread. He ran a hand through his hair sheepishly. "Erm, oops!"

"Don't worry about it, Naruto-san; Raikage-sama does it every other week," Samui explained.

"I do not!"

"You do, actually; I'm the one who always places the work order." She turned and pointed to the shattered wall that had once held a glass window.

Naruto turned to look at it, blinking in surprise. "Wow!" he cried. "I thought it was an actual window!"

"Liaise," Yugito heard one of the Jounin sneer; it was Shi, a sensory and medical ninja. "Why do we need to liaise with Konoha dogs?"

Naruto gave a grumbling sigh. "Oi, I'd appreciate if you didn't insult Konoha, or its dogs, eh," Naruto said lightly.

"And what are you going to do about it?" Another jounin sneered. Darui, she knew. Yugito noticed the Raikage lean back against his desk, seemingly content to let the confrontation play out.

"Hm? Do? Eh, not much." Naruto closed his eyes in thought.

Yugito had a bad feeling….

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Darui muttered.

A smirk bewitched Naruto's lips, just for a moment, and his eyes snapped open, directly meeting Darui's. Yugito felt a great crushing weight pressing down on her, and she flinched away from eyes that were suddenly a sensual crimson, filled with an all-encompassing malice. _Those eyes, _she thought. _Could they be –?_

It was over as quickly as it had come – it truly only had been for an instant. But in that instant everyone in the office had felt something otherworldly; something demonic. Darui, who the feeling had been focused at, had actually gasped and taken a step backwards before he realised what he was doing and stepped back into line with the other jounin. Sweat beaded his brow.

"Enough!" the Raikage barked. Yugito turned to look at Naruto; his eyes were blue once again and an amicable smile had settled on his face.

_What the hell was that? _she wondered

Darui swallowed audibly, looking anywhere but in Naruto's direction. His hands seemed to be shaking, as though he was experiencing severe alcohol withdrawal.

Kosuke – the damned _toad_ – was quivering from his perch amongst Naruto's blond locks.

The Raikage's eyes were intense upon Naruto, who wore that same friendly smile; almost as though he hadn't just done something to a formidable Kumo jounin. "You have brought my ninja back to me, and now it's time for you to leave." The large black man's voice brooked no argument.

"Of course, Raikage-sama," Naruto said pleasantly. "I hope we shall continue good relations between Kumogakure and Konohagakure." He gave a mocking bow and his eyes seemed uncharacteristically malicious as they flickered to Darui.

Raikage-sama waved a hand and Naruto was escorted out. Everyone left in the office let out a breath as the atmosphere relaxed somewhat. "Darui, what did he do to you?"

Darui slowly stepped forward. Sweat ran down his temple. "I don't really know," he said, uncharacteristically subdued. "It was similar to feeling your killing intent, or perhaps more like Killer Bee's. But it was far more powerful."

"Like Killer Bee's?" Samui asked with narrowed eyes. "You don't think –?"

"I-I don't know. If I had to guess I'd say so," Darui concluded.

"Does Konoha even have a Jinchuuriki, though?" someone else asked.

Yugito felt anger spear through her heart. _He is a jinchuuriki? Why didn't he tell me?_ Then it occurred to her that he was under no obligation to tell her, and she still owed him for saving her life.

Besides, how do you just tell someone you don't know about something like that? _'Hey there, I'm Naruto. I have a demon inside me, nice to meet you!'_

The Raikage paused in thought for a moment before dragging the female kunoichi out of her thoughts. "Yugito, I'll need to know everything about that boy."

"Of course," she agreed, inclining her head. _But I really want to... _"Raikage-sama, can I….?" she trailed off, tilting her head in the direction Naruto had gone. "He saved my life," she murmured quietly.

The Raikage scowled. "Fine," he barked, "but make it quick!"

Yugito nodded and bolted from the office. She leapt over buildings and eventually came to the city walls. Only a small doorway was open to allow anyone in and out. The two guards nodded to her as she approached. She nodded back as she stepped through.

Naruto was waiting for her on the other side. "Yo!" he greeted.

"Hey," she said, voice reticent.

"I'm, uh, sorry about what happened in there. Got a bit enthusiastic, I guess," Naruto said sheepishly.

_Are you like me, Naruto? Do you too hold a monstrous demon inside you? Are you terribly lonely?_

She didn't give voice to the questions.

There was an uncomfortable silence, and Yugito had so much that she wanted to say, but she just couldn't.

"So, I was gonna go –"

"I'm sorry for –"

They both stopped at the same time and shared a grin. Naruto gestured for her to speak. She bit her lip and stepped closer. "I-I was just…. thanks…. for saving my life…"

For once, Naruto's face wasn't set in a mischievous grin. He seemed to understand the gravity of what she was saying. "Sure," he murmured, appreciative of the solemn mood.

She felt as though his eyes were piercing her soul. Again.

"And here." She threw a roll of paper at him. "It's a scroll I wrote out yesterday while you were asleep, about the Akatsuki members I encountered. Their strengths and weaknesses and such from when I fought them. You should give it to your Kage."

"Thanks."

"Naruto, are you..." Yugito balked; she couldn't bring herself to ask him. "W-Well, that's all," she said nervously, flattening a hand against her hair. "I should –" She gestured over her shoulder with her thumb.

"Yeah," he agreed. She nodded and turned to walk away.

"Hey Yugito!" he called after her.

She whirled around, surprising even herself with her eagerness. "Yes?"

Naruto gave her the thumbs-up and a toothy grin – a truly ridiculous pose, but somehow it suited him. "Don't be a stranger. If you're near Konoha sometime, or you ever need help…. Look me up, okay?"

"O-Okay," she smiled hesitantly. She doubted she would have any further contact with him, but she'd leave the option open. She wasn't as averse to the prospect as she felt she should have been.

He smiled back and nodded before giving an awkward wave and turning and walking away.

Yugito stepped back within the walls of Kumogakure, pulling up short. Her lips were twitching, as though she wanted to smile. "See you later, Uzumaki Naruto," she whispered.

Then she sobered her facial expression and headed back to the Raikage's office to give her official debrief.

**The End**

oOoOoOo

A/N: So I have laid the ground-work for the romance. They have plenty of sparks, so there's attraction and passion. The next step, were I to continue the story, would be to incorporate more of an emotional connection. However, were they to meet again I feel as though Yugito would be more stand-offish, in an attempt to control her unprecedented reaction to Naruto.

That emotional connection, however, shall not be written by me.

I hope the difference in their mental processes came across accurately – Naruto seems to only notice things on a superficial level – Yugito is a beautiful woman, for example. Yugito, on the other hand, notices things in far more detail and is far more critical and analytical of everything that happens.

I honestly didn't plan to have the scene with the Raikage and Kumo contingent – Naruto was just supposed to drop Yugito at the gate, but this is what popped out. All the stuff in the manga regarding the Kage summit convinced me that it would be alright to introduce a few of the Cloud shinobi.

And thus, this story is complete.

Any feedback is, of course, welcome and taken into consideration.

Regards,

bourkem


End file.
